The emergence of the child as a subject of rights has been influenced by developmental, social, political, and legal theories. In this context, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) has contributed in a major way towards a better understanding of childhood and children's rights through its definition of the child as "every human being below the age of 18 years, unless under the law applicable to the child majority is attained earlier" (art. 1). Childhood and children's rights, however, go beyond a matter of age and involve issues of development, capacity, protection and autonomy, as the CRC itself indeed recognises in its general principles.

Being able to recognise the numerous features of childhood and what they entail in terms of respect, protection and fulfilment of rights is the first step towards more effective interventions in any activity with and for children. This e-learning course introduces participants to the foundations of children's rights in three areas:• conceptual framework for the development of rights for children;• international legal standards and mechanisms;• definition of the child and general principles.

Participants will deepen their knowledge about the origins of children's rights and the rationale behind them, with particular attention to issues of universal and local application. The course will also focus on development, capacity, protection and autonomy as an overall integrated framework rather than distinct elements. Through a combination of theoretical and practical analysis, the course will equip participants with the basic knowledge and tools necessary to gain a critical understanding of children's rights.

This certificate course involves approximately 30 hours of reading, discussion, webinars, a writing assignment and quizzes, and is offered over a six-week period. The course is based on a participatory, active learning approach, with an emphasis on critical reflection and peer-to-peer learning. Participants will do the required readings, prepare interim and final assignments and participate in group discussions. Case studies will be used to enable interactive learning and activities.

Dr. Angela Melchiorre has been involved in teaching and training since the year 2000. In her last appointment she was the Programme Director of the European Masters Degree in Human Rights and Democratisation (E.MA) in Venice, Italy. Between 2009 and 2011, Angela was Research Coordinator for the Right to Education Project at ActionAid International in London, which she still supports as a member of their Advisory Panel. Angela previously worked as Lecturer in Human Rights at the University of London and as Human Rights Advisor for the Italian Permanent Mission at the UN in Geneva and New York. In her personal capacity she has also been a consultant for UNICEF-Italy, UNESCO-IBE and for the first UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, the late Katarina Tomaševski. Angela’s areas of expertise are children's rights, the right to education and the UN human rights system. She is the author of At what age... are school-children employed, married and taken to court?, a worldwide comparative analysis of minimum ages under the reporting system of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). As a spin-off from that research, Angela wrote her PhD thesis on the minimum age for marriage and the CRC. Angela has been a course instructor for HREA since 2010, including previously for The Right to Education course.

Who should apply

The course is intended for, among others, child rights advocates, youth workers, social workers, staff members of development and children's rights/social justice organisations, including development NGOs and UN specialised agencies like UNICEF. Participants should have a good written command of English -- the working language of the course -- and have high competence and comfort with computer and Internet use. HREA aims to ensure equal gender and geographical distribution across the selected participants. The maximum number of course participants is 25. A Certificate of Participation will be awarded upon successful completion of the course. It also possible to audit the course.

Costs

Tuition fee for participants: US$ 575; tuition for auditors: US$ 215. There are no scholarships or discounted tuition rates available for this course.

Register for this course (page opens in new window). Registrations are accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. There is no registration deadline, but please be aware that courses generally fill up quickly!